Enhancing the efficacy of preoperative autologous blood donation by erythropoietin.

A double-blind, randomized and placebo-controlled study was performed with 62 patients undergoing orthopedic hip surgery. Mean hemoglobin levels at surgery, after four weekly blood-donations were 12.3, 12.

Vascular toxicity in dogs associated with overdoses of a novel benzodiazepine receptor partial agonist.

Necrotizing arteritis and periarteritis were found in Beagle and German Shepherd dogs treated for 13 or 52 weeks with the novel benzodiazepine receptor (BZR) partial agonist Ro 16-6028 (generic name bretazenil). Eight male and one female out of a total of 20 dogs treated with 40-60 mg/kg/day Ro 16-6028 developed the arteritis, predominantly in the heart or the epididymis. Two of these animals died prematurely following treatment at the initial dosing levels of 80 and 55 mg/kg/day; one of these two dogs was asymptomatic and in good general condition until death.